In order to prevent damage to devices requiring air, it is necessary to filter or pre-clean the air flowing to those devices. Currently, air cleaning assemblies or air pre-cleaners, for removal and discharge of particulates from the intake air, are mounted in a stack or canister. The replacement of such filters is often complex and time consuming, necessitating the requirement for additional tools.
Additionally, the replacement of current air cleaners is often complex, requiring the installer to maneuver within a confined space. The air cleaners generally comprise a felted mass of fibers, such as cotton, synthetic resins, or the like, thereby forming a mass.
Although the current air cleaners may adequately perform with respect to particulate removal, the replacement of air cleaners, as required in typical maintenance of equipment, is often difficult due to the aforementioned problems.
One of the current air cleaning devices is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,574, issued on Mar. 26, 2002. The invention provides a filter canister with a filter mounted therein to filter air passing from an inlet end of the canister to an outlet end. The filter within the canister is formed of an outer cylindrical filter and an inner cylindrical filter mounted to the outlet wall of the canister to filter the pre-cleaned air that passes through an inlet opening of the canister into the air space between the interior of the canister and the outer filter.
While the aforementioned air cleaning apparatus adequately provides for removal and discharge of particulates from the intake air as well as thorough air filtering in a compact unit, the removal and replacement of the unit, as required in general maintenance, necessitates a number of additional tools, as well of a high degree of effort from the individual fulfilling the task.
An additional air cleaning apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,281 issued on Aug. 10, 1999. The patent discloses an air filter having a housing defining a filter chamber, a fluid flow inlet opening to a first region of the filter chamber and a fluid flow outlet opening to a second region of the filter chamber. A filter element extends within the housing between the first region of the filter chamber for receiving unfiltered contaminated air and the second region of the filter chamber for receiving filtered air having passed through the filter element. Additionally, this includes an outer housing defining a filter chamber. The filter housing comprises a generally cylindrical body extending along a central axis and end closure members at the axially opposite ends of the body. The end closure members may both be detachably secured end caps, for example by threading, clamping or otherwise. Alternatively one of the two may be formed integrally with the body to provide a pot-like shaped housing having a detachable end cap at its open end.
The while the aforementioned disclosure recites an end closure member that is threaded, the filter element is not integral with the end closure element, but is merely disposed within the housing.
Presently, all known air cleaners require additional clips, bands, or even a separate housing to be attached to their respective receptacle.
Furthermore, many air cleaners require special tooling, and are particularly difficult to remove when attached to their respective receptacles within the associated apparatus.
It would be desirable to provide an air cleaner that has an integral coupling means, thereby allowing the air cleaner to be attached to an appropriate receptacle without requiring any additional clips or bands.
It would further be desirable to provide an air cleaner that is easily removable from its respective receptacle within the associated apparatus.
It would still further be desirable to provide an air cleaner wherein an essential component of said air cleaner serves to support the coupling means, thereby minimizing associated costs and increasing overall stability.